Contributed by: Kristin Johnston Largen
I just finished reading the proof of a new book on Buddhist-Christian dialogue that will be coming out this fall: Fragrant Rivers of Wisdom: An Invitation to Buddhist-Christian Dialogue, by Christian van Gorder. Van Gorder himself is a Christian, who lived for many years in Singapore and China, and the book is written from a Christian perspective, sharing insights from Buddhism for the sake of greater respect and mutual engagement for a more just world.
In this blog post, I’d like to share just a few reflections on the book, which, overall, is a good, engaging read and very accessible for all audiences.
The author describes two main goals of the book in the first chapter: “… to encourage creative thinking about how Buddhists and Christians can best relate to each other….,” and “to provide a resource for those who want to interact with Buddhists, with a greater sense of cherished respect” (10). Ultimately, the goal is “to listen, learn, and love as our faiths teach” (11).
The book has two parts. The first part has six chapters that introduce the main characteristics and history of Buddhism, and the second part invites new avenues of Buddhist-Christian dialogue. The book culminates in the final two chapters, “Partnerships for Social Justice,” and “Creative Interfaith Engagement.”
The first part contains all the information one might imagine would be there: the story of the Buddha’s life, definitions of the Four Noble Truths, descriptions of the sangha, etc. Van Gorder shares this information in a compelling style, with lots of quotes and helpful analogies. One interesting section in the chapter on the Four Noble Truths is titled “Bodhisattva Ideals.” In this section, the author quotes Taigen Daniel Leighton, who suggests contemporary historical figures who embody specific “bodhisattva ideals”: Winston Churchill as a modern-day Manjushri, for example (53).
Chapter 8 is titled Dharma and Gospel, and begins by discussing Buddhist and Christian Scriptures. However, van Gorder chooses to take this chapter in an interesting direction—talking not about specific texts themselves, but rather some of the main themes they contain, and the different takes each religion offers on the same topic. So, for example, he discusses each tradition’s view of humanity, and how humans are taught view (and live in) the world—both traditions advocate avoiding the temptations of the material world, for example, allowing either the Buddha Nature or Jesus to fill the kenosis (emptiness) we are called to cultivate. He ends this chapter with a section on “Living from Heart,” by which he points to the core virtues of love and compassion found in both.
The whole book has very practical, “so what” orientation that is meant to emphasize the practical importance of Buddhist-Christian dialogue and its ramifications in one’s life. This is just a small example of this, but in his chapter on “The Zen Teachings of Jesus?” he writes, “Zen warns we should not think spirituality demands detachment from the world. Actually, it requires engagement with the world. Most of life is filled with mundane, necessary chores. Only the arrogant, burdened by exceptionalism, refuse to value what Hui Neng (636-712) calls the ‘asceticism of being ordinary’” (110). This push towards engagement with the world characterizes the book as a whole.
As I said earlier, the book really culminates in the last two chapters. The opening sentence of chapter 11, “Partnerships for Social Justice,” reads as follows: “Faith communities should reach beyond liturgical and devotional practices to change a world overflowing with tragedy” (134). It is very clear that van Gorder is convinced that Buddhist-Christian dialogue is one important means for stimulating just such a reach. In this chapter, he emphasizes the need to reject violence, protest economic injustice, and speak out for the victimized. All of these things, he argues, we can do better when we work together.
In chapter 12, he talks specifically about “Creative Interfaith Engagement,” which includes new friendships, challenging conversations marked by a spirit of trust and humility, and learning from “the rich wisdom-legacies of others” even as we “embrace our own faiths” (156). He emphasizes that Christians have nothing to fear from this enterprise, and everything to gain. As he notes in the conclusion:
There is no need for Christians or Buddhists to worry about
compromise or syncretism. Although we are sisters and brothers,
we share different perspectives and pursue distinct objectives.
All that should be jettisoned between us is arrogance and insularity,
and not cherished convictions or ancient beliefs (176).
A few concerns. First, I would be remiss if I didn’t note the short section in the chapter on “Sangha and Church” titled “Sexual Ethics,” which seems woefully understated, given the tragic scandals both Buddhist and Christian communities have faced regarding sexual misconduct in recent years. He briefly notes the ideals—marriage, rejection of homophobia, celibacy—but doesn’t delve at all into the ways in which both traditions have utterly failed these ideals, and used them to persecute others. Better to have left it out, I think, than leave so much unsaid.
Second, I found the ending very strange, and wished he had taken more time to explain why he chose to end the book with the story he did. The final image he leaves for the reader comes from story taken from ancient Japan, in which a nine-year-old girl sacrifices her life to a ravaging wolf to protect her infant brother: “Lifting her corpse, the villagers only then discovered her brother, smiling and unaffected, safe underneath her tattered body” (183). He suggests that “the newborn infant” of Buddhist-Christian partnerships will take on its own life—but, is there a cost? Who/what is the sibling that must be sacrificed?
These small concerns aside, I found the book enjoyable and very readable. It is written for Christians, so it uses language familiar to Christianity to help elucidate Buddhist wisdom, and certainly offer great encouragement to the reader to continue down the road of dialogue.
Kristin Johnston Largen is the president of Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, IA. Her background is in Comparative Theology, and her most recent book is A Christian Exploration of Women's Bodies and Rebirth in Shin Buddhism (Lexington Books, 2020). She is the current editor of Dialog: a Journal of Theology.